Review of M (1931) by Nate W — 06 Nov 2012

Though well known for the dozen or so films he made in the silent era, including his sci-fi milestone "Metropolis", German director Fritz Lang's finest work (by his own admission, no less) was his first foray into sound, the tonally and thematically dark "M".

With such a heavy premise as a child killer at large, "M" is a film whose power lies in what it suggests rather than what it shows. His eerie shot selection in the scene when Elsie fails to show up for dinner is a marvel of restraint and implication to impart a sense of dread.

Lang also makes effective use of voice-over and montage to progress plots elements such as the ongoing police investigations. Besides been a first rate and influential noir, it is also a prophetic examination of how rampant suspicion can shake the roots of a society, an idea which is perhaps more pertinent in these mistrusting times than it was in 1931.